Wolves and Sticks
by Cat McDougall
Summary: The mishap of training younglings, finding Changewolves and being isolationistic.


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Disclaimer: All things Velgarth, Valdemar, Tayledras, etc are the property of Mercedes Lackey. The character Hirrn the _kyree_ was thought up by etcetera-cat. Thank you dear for letting me borrow her.

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A/N: Argh! This is an RP character of mine, though her (and her bird's) name's been changed. She obviously feels the need to have a back story.

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Wolves and Sticks

She whistled a jaunty tune as she walked through the shaded paths of the Vale. Tomorrow, she was taking her nephew out on his first paired scout run. She didn't get along well with littles. Hells, she didn't get along well with _adults_. Still, this was her nephew. For him, she could make an exception.

Shading her eyes, she glanced up through the lush canopy of k'Saurai Vale and spotted the large silhouette that was her bird, Marken. Sending up the gentle wisp of thought, she chuckled as she got mental grumbling back. He was enjoying the peace of the Vale.

Starflame, however, was ready to go back to her own _ekele_ and wait for the early dawn, her nephew and going out on scouting patrol. She felt, more than Heard, the mental sigh her bondbird Sent back to her.

Nodding to several other Scouts, she swiftly left the Vale behind, heading on silent feet back to her own home. Pulling her climbing stick off her back, she swung it, the blade biting deep into the bark and pulled herself into the branches. Moving along the larger branches, she didn't stir the leaves at all. She was a wisp, a phantom. Nothing knew she was moving along the branches from down below. Of course, up above was another matter.

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:Bondmate say sister wait! Starflame startled and held her balance looking around for the obnoxious voice. _:Bondmate sister wait. Bondmate come.:_ The bleached out peregrine falcon landed on the branch in front of Starflame.

Starflame grimaced, glaring at the bird. She didn't want to deal with her brother. Or his chattering bird. Or anyone, really. The only thing she wanted to do was get to her _ekele_, brew some tea and relax, watching the stars come out through the tree canopy.

Sighing, she settled, her back against the tree trunk, lounging on the wide branch where she'd stopped. Pulling out her dagger, she flicked it, pinning the tree hare that had ventured too close to her. Working her knife free again, she pulled the tree hare over to her and bled it swiftly, ignoring the falcon's look of interest.

"Heyla!" Her younger brother dropped onto a branch next to her, looking… _perky_. She didn't like perky. She just arched an eyebrow at her brother, hoping he'd talk fast and then go away. Unlike her, he lived inside the Vale. The sun was going down, his falcon would have trouble flying after dark if they weren't careful.

He grinned at her. Perky. "Wanted to invite myself to dinner." A blush. "And for the night."

Starflame snorted. "Firefall—" She began, knowing he was serious.

Firefall coughed looking uncomfortable. "Just for the night, 'Flame." He tried to wheedle, using her nickname. "Darkwing has the night off and he and Dawnwind—" Firefall trailed off looking at his elder sister.

Starflame snorted. "Need to just exchange primary feathers, get their _own ekele_ and quit kicking you out." She muttered. Around them, the forest was settling for the night, birds finding nests; small things scuttled through the underbrush, the nocturnal animals coming out for their morning. She sighed shaking her head, her minimal beads making no noise at all. "Tonight. Only." She said sternly, looking at her younger sibling. "I'm taking Winterwing out before dawn." With that, she began moving along the branches again, her tree hare dinner flopping against her thigh as she moved.

Finally, she came to the right spot. Pulling her hook off her back again, she began climbing, her younger brother moving behind her easily. Closing her eyes as she slung the stick back onto her back once again, she leapt.

She landed easily on the 'front porch' of her _ekele_, rocking slightly forward onto the balls of her feet. Starflame straightened and headed into the main room, getting ready to start her dinner, hearing a heavy thump on the porch. "How someone so ungraceful manages to stay in trees amazes me." She called, skinning the tree hare easily.

Incoherent grumbling came from the porch, along with the dropping of a bow next to her own. "And if you mess up my _ekele,_ brother-mine, you'll be cleaning it." Another bout of incoherent grumbling followed that announcement. Starflame smirked to herself, continuing with dinner.

Her brother sniffed appreciatively and she waved him away. "You smell. Go bathe." She said pointing out the back side of her home. Down below a stream and small waterfall could be heard. Firefall muttered again.

"No change of clothing." He grumbled when she arched an eyebrow.

She snorted once again. "Don't worry, I won't ravage you." She said dryly. Her brother snorted, as she turned away from dinner to study him. "But if you're _that_ concerned with your modesty—" She trailed off, disappearing into her bedroom. Pulling out a robe, towels and soap, she rolled them into a bundle and tossed them at him. Pointing out the door, she repeated the command. "Bathe. Now."

He sighed, attempting to sound put upon. Unfortunately for him, there were projectiles nearby. Many of which were sharp. Seemingly absently, Starflame fingered a bowl next to her. Firefall got the hint. He disappeared out the back door as she settled the quick stew over the small fire, and the kettle next to it.

She had bathed in the Vale, after talking to Sablefox's eldest son Winterwing. Slipping out of her scout gear, she donned her own robe and went to check on dinner again. Marken came in to settle on his outdoor perch, something large, and dead, in his talons. As he began to eat, Grye, Firefall's falcon landed as well, her own dinner in her talons.

Ignoring the birds, she carried a mug of tea out onto the porch, collapsing on the pillows she dragged out just for that purpose. Firefall's grumbling came from behind her but she ignored it. "You live entirely too high. Did you go looking for the tallest tree possible?"

"Yes," Starflame said succinctly. Because, in fact, she had. She had found it as well. Which was a good thing. Besides, having an _ekele_ barely accessible by ladder, or by tree-road, cut down on visitors. Human or otherwise.

Firefall sighed, looking at the night-alive forest. "Are you _ever_ going to come live in the Vale?" He asked, trying to start up a conversation.

"No."

One word answers were 'Flame's specialty. She conveyed so much with a single syllable. Some others would have interpreted that 'No' as a 'Not yet.' However, 'Flame meant it as a definitive 'No.' She wasn't going to come live in the Vale. She was going to stay in her _ekele_ go on her scouting missions, ignore the rest of the Vale, the Kaled'a'in that lived with them, and pretty much any sentient being she came across. Including Marken. And even then she only paid attention part of the time.

Firefall sighed again, shaking his head. He settled onto his own pillows, sipping his tea. Dinner smelled wonderful as the scent wafted out on the evening breeze. He sniffed appreciatively.

Flame snorted slightly. "Patience. It's not done yet." She said, her eyes never turning from studying the forest. She cocked her head, listening to something scurrying along branches close to her home. A dagger appeared in her hand, but the scurrying stopped and went another direction.

Firefall said nothing as she stood. He winced slightly, hearing her joints pop loudly in the still air. Watching her walk back into the _ekele_ he shook his head. _:My sister is far too isolationistic:_ He told Gyre.

His bird, half asleep on her chosen perch, opened one dark eye to look at her bondmate. _:Eagles alone. Only lifemate around.:_ That seemed to be enough explanation for her. She closed her eye again and settled in for the night.

Firefall blinked a bit. That hadn't been something he'd been expecting to hear. Still, it made a sort of eerie sense. Bond-eagles, like Marken, didn't bond very often. They were a rare bondbird to be seen. Their massive size made it all but impossible for anyone to lift them. Starflame couldn't lift Marken, but they seemed to do well enough.

He shook his head. Starflame had gotten the one bird that was as much an isolationist as herself. If he remembered correctly, their tempers weren't far off either. Hearing her dishing up food, he stood heading into the _ekele_ for a silent meal.

• • •

Starflame sat on the edge of her porch, her feet swinging in what appeared to be a young, child-like fashion. In reality, she was bored. Her nephew was late. Finally, the boy's eagle-owl, Hyna, back winged to land on the porch railing. _:Bondmate come! Bondmate come.:_ She said excitedly.

Starflame rolled her eyes. Younglings were entirely too excitable. She glanced over to the next tree, hearing a rustling. A moment later the leaves erupted from the other tree as her nephew landed roughly. Reaching out, she grabbed him before he could tumble off the porch. "You're late," She admonished him.

Winterwing had the grace to blush as he finally caught his balance. He gulped some air, trying to still his panting breaths. "Sorry. I forgot how far your _ekele_ was from the Vale." He tried to apologise.

Starflame just "hmm-ed" and pulled her climbing stick off her back. "Let's go. We have North River Sector five." Her nephew sighed and pulled his own stick off and followed his aunt through the trees.

Starflame loved scouting. More than anything else. She _was_ a Master-Level Mage. However, the pride in that accomplishment paled, and almost disappeared, when she thought of being a scout. Being in the trees, eyes scanning the forest floor below, the smell of the rich earth rising on a gentle breeze; perfection in the extreme.

She breathed deeply of the warm scents from the forest around her. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched her nephew move through the trees, only time and practice would give him the grace that Starflame had. She waited for him to catch up and pointed to the small area she'd stopped above, ready to point things out. _:Changewolves.:_ She said, pointing out the oversized footprints of the massive canines. _:One pack. Maybe six, seven members. No cubs.:_ She told him, Marken sitting in a tree closer to the area and feeding her images. _:Headed away from our Vale. Probably hunting.:_ She frowned and Marken left the area. She glanced at her nephew, who seemed more excited than worried.

Shaking her head, she narrowed her eyes, pinning him in place. _:Two scouts, no matter that one is a Master Level Mage, cannot take on a pack of even three Changewolves. It's too dangerous.: _She watched him wilt under her look. Nodding her approval at his understanding, they ghosted along the tree-road. Even when they stopped for lunching, they didn't descend to the forest floor.

Starflame found them wide branches to sit on and eat the cured meat she'd brought along with her. Some grabbed berries and some water from their canteens, a full meal for scouts on patrol. She watched her nephew as his bird landed above him, something tangled in her talons. Marken was a few trees over, feasting on the large rabbit he'd caught.

Once they were finished, and the birds back in the air, they continued on their patrol. Starflame began pointing out signs that all scouts needed to know. Moving through the trees easily, she snapped her head up when she Heard a frantic MindCall.

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:HEL—: It was cut off abruptly, the death of the sender obvious.

Biting off a curse she began really moving through the trees, Marken moving as rapidly as he could between the trees. Winterwing and Hyna close behind. She stopped for a moment, trying to search out with her mind where the Shout had come from. Then she heard another one, decidedly weaker.

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:HELP! Help me! Obviously a youngling, Starflame decided. A _dyheli_ youngling, if she was any judge. Swearing, and stringing her bow she began racing through the trees again.

Hyna was the one to spot them. _:This way! Bondmate! This way! _Starflame swore as Winterwing veered off away from her.

She followed the boy and had Marken go find the next Scout, getting a relay begun to the Vale for Healers. If the youngling could be saved.

Starflame stopped abruptly, looking for her nephew and then down, finding him kneeling next to a _dyheli_ youngster. The youngling seemed to have crashed through the underbrush. She frowned. Something wasn't ri—

She didn't even finish the thought. Three Changewolves crashed out of the underbrush, one leaping and landing on Winterwing, the teen never knowing what had happened. She watched, horrified as her nephews throat was torn out. Dropping from the trees —no matter _how_ foolhardy it was— she fired an arrow, hitting the one who'd attacked him. Grabbing the ley for power, she snapped off a levin bolt, taking down another.

She'd made her way to her nephew's body. However, more members of the pack had appeared. She didn't care. Going back to the Vale, with her nephew dead, wasn't an option. No. She'd let them find her here. What they _could_ find at any rate.

Hyna screamed diving out of the trees, engaging another of the Wolves. Starflame managed to get off another shot before there was a searing pain in her leg. She went to turn, but the leg gave out on her. Ignoring everything, she fired off another arrow, another levin bolt, another spot of magic, a dagger, anything she could think of.

Marken, using his superior size, dove from the canopy, attacking as he could, raking backs and eyes with talons. Starflame was beginning to weaken. It didn't matter. Final Strike. She could die, and kill the Changewolves at the same time.

When she began to Reach for the Power, she found she couldn't grasp it. She was too weak. Around her, the Changewolves fell, other scouts from k'Saurai having answered the call for help.

With her last conscious breath, she reached over and touched what remained of her nephew's body, and then let the blackness claim her.

• • •

Voices floated around her head. Perhaps she was dead. Death shouldn't be so painful though. It should be the end of pain. "Well?" A gruff and unrecognisable voice said above her.

There was a sigh. _:She'll live. I don't know that we'll **want** her to.:_ A noise that sounded like nails on a wooden floor. Starflame was almost certain she recognised that MindVoice. But who was it?

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:Star-Eyed knows what this will do to her already sparkling personality.: A derisive snort this time. _:But she'll live.:_

Starflame knew that Voice now. Hirrn. A _kyree_ Healer here in k'Saurai Vale. One who said she'd live. She didn't want to live. It looked like the Healers weren't giving her a choice.

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Several days later, when she was allowed to open her eyes, she avoided looking anywhere at herself. When the Healer's arrived, however, she didn't have a choice. Looking down, she found her leg so entirely mangled, she knew her life as a Scout was over. Never again would the freedom of the tree-road, of the Pelagirs be hers.

Ignoring the Healers, she looked over and found a stick, one that was decorated with feathers, carvings, beads, anything the _hertasi_ could think of to make it a work of art within itself. Starflame closed her eyes. Willing herself back into the land of dreams, she hid from what her reality had become.

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A/N: Finished. I hope etcetera-cat enjoys the way I portrayed her Healer. Yes, this is a one-shot. No I'll not be writing more of this. Enjoy!


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